Weft handling mechanism for automatic filling winder



G. C. JOYCE Sept. 20, 1955 WEFT HANDLING MECHANISM FOR AUTOMATIC FILLING WINDER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed NOV. 8, 1952 INVENTOR. GLOVER C. UOYCE. BY 616w. W

ATTY.

Sept. 20, 1955 G. c. JOYCE 2,718,360

WEFT HANDLING MECHANISM FOR AUTOMATIC FILLING WINDER Filed Nov. 8, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. GLOVER G. UOYCE.

NTY.

United States Patent 2,718,360 Patented Sept. 20, 1955 wm' HANDLING MECHANISM FOR AUTOMATIC FILLING WINDER Glover C. Joyce, Worcester, Mass., assignor to Whitin Machine Works, Whitinsville, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts This invention relates to machines in which weft or filling is;wound on bobbins which are to be used in automatic weft-replenishing looms.

. In certain commercial winding machines of this type, a jwound bobbin is automatically ejected, a fresh bobbin is inserted, and the weft or filling thread is gripped under the butt of the inserted bobbin. The weft thread is then out between the ejected full bobbin and the butt of the new bobbin. This customary procedure leaves a loose end at the butt of each new bobbin, thus wasting weft and frequently causing trouble thereafter in weaving.

In Hendricks Patent No. 2,575,015, it was proposed to cut this gripped weft end shortly after the winding of the new bobbin was started. This Hendricks operation still left a short piece of weft gripped by the butt of the new bobbin. When this new bobbin was thereafter ejected, this short piece of loose weft was released and could readily cause trouble in subsequent operations.

It is the general object of my present invention to avoid such waste and such loose ends by releasing each gripped weft end shortly after the winding of the new bobbin begins, and by allowing the released weft end to be drawn into and covered by the yarn mass on the new bobbin. In other words, a stricktly tail-less wound bobbin is produced.

To the accomplishment of this general object, I provide means to momentarily withdraw that portion of the winding spindle which engages the butt of the bobbin and which grips the end of the weft thread. I also provide pneumatic means to assist centrifugal force in displacing the released weft end forwardly of the bobbin.

My invention further relates to arrangements and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter set forth and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

A preferred form of the invention is shown in the drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, and showing my improved weft-gripping and releasing mechanism;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but showing certain parts in a different position;

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view, taken along the line 3-3 in Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view, taken along the line 44 in Fig. 1.

Referring to Fig. 1, I have shown a bobbin B mounted between a driving spindle and a tail center 11. The spindle 10 rotates in a fixed bearing 12 and is driven by any suitable driving mechanism (not shown).

The tail center 11 is slidable in a fixed bearing 14 and is withdrawn for bobbin replacement by a rod 15 acting through a lever 16. The parts thus far described are of usual construction and for a more complete disclosure thereof, reference is made to my copending application Serial No. 260,719 filed December 8, 1951, now Patent No. 2,670,147, issued February 23, 1954.

A grooved clamping collar is mounted to slide on the spindle 10 but is keyed thereto for rotation therewith. A spring 22 normally holds the collar 20 in the z position shown in Fig. 1, in which position the outer or left-hand end of the collar engages the butt portion 23 of the bobbin B. In this position, the weft thread W is caught and gripped against the butt of the bobbin.

A thread cutter C is mounted on a fixed bracket 30 and comprises a fixed cutting jaw 31 and a movable cutting jaw 32. The parts are so positioned that the weft W connected to the full bobbin falls naturally between the jaws 31 and'32 as the full bobbin is ejected.

A cam 34 is mounted on a shaft 35 which performs one revolution at each bobbin replenishment. A lug 36 on the cam 34 engages a lever 37 connected by a link 38 to the movable cutter jaw 32, and the parts are so timed that the cutter operates to sever the weft W immediately after bobbin replenishment and before the spindle 10 resumes rotation.

A lever 40 is mounted on a fixed pivot 41 and has a roll 42 at its upper end which projects intothe peripheral groove 43 of the collar 20. The lever 40 is connected by a link 45 to a lever 46, and the end of this lever 46 is positioned for engagement by a lug 47 on a cam disc 48 mounted on the shaft 35 previously described.

Shortly after rotation of the spindle 10 has been resumed, the lug 47 engages the lever 46 and acts through the link 45 and lever 40 to momentarily withdraw the collar 20 from engagement with the butt 23 of the bobbin B.

The weft end W previously severed by the cutter C is thus freed and will be carried out by centrifugal force to the position shown in Fig. 2. Such removal of the weft end W is facilitated by the construction of the collar 20. The collar 20 comprises a bobbin-engaging resilient insertion 51 and an outer rim held in spaced relation to the hub portion of the collar by a plurality of inclined vanes 52 (Fig. 3).

With this construction, the collar 20 acts as a fan and assists centrifugal force in removing the released weft end W from its gripped position. The air blast is also directed forwardly of the bobbin, so that the weft end may be positioned as shown at W. After the weft end W reaches the position shown in Fig. 2, it will be caught by the weft W and will be wound into the mass of weft on the bobbin B where it can do no harm and where it will also be available as useful filling material.

As soon as the weft end W is ejected, the cam lug 47 releases the lever 46, and the collar 20 returns to its driving position. The collar is withdrawn'for a very brief period only, and during this brief period the rotation of the bobbin is maintained by the spindle 10.

It thus appears that by releasing the weft end W, I provide a strictly tail-less wound bobbin, and that I also prevent waste of that portion of weft which extends from the new bobbin B to the cutter C.

The term forwardly as used in the claims indicates a direction alongside the bobbin and toward the tip thereof.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but what I claim is:

1. In a bobbin Winding machine, means to support and rotate a bobbin, a device to clamp a thread end against the butt of a newly inserted bobbin before Winding of the bobbin starts, means to thereafter withdraw said clamping device and to thereby release and free said thread end as soon as an initial winding has been placed on the bobbin and with said thread end remaining connected to the thread being wound on the bobbin, and pneumatic means to blow the free part of said released thread end forwardly and toward the tip of the bobbin.

2. In a bobbin winding machine, a spindle effective to support the butt of a bobbin and to rotate said bobbin, a support for the tip of the bobbin, a threadclamping and bobbin-driving collar slidable axially on saidspindle and rotated therewith, a Spring to press said collar against the butt of the bobbin to be wound and to clamp the thread end against said butt, and means to withdraw said collar axially from said bobbin after winding begins and to thereby release the thread end clamped by said .collar, andsaid collar having blades therein effective to direct a blast of air against the released thread end.

I 3. Ina bobbin winding machine, a spindle elfective to support the butt of a. bobbin and to rotate said bobbin, a, support for the tip of the bobbin, a thread-clamping and bobbin-driving, collar slidable axially on said spindle and rotated therewith, a spring to press said collar against the .butt of the. bobbin to be wound and to clamp the thread end against said butt, and means to withdraw said collar axially from said bobbin after winding begins and. to thereby release the thread end clamped by said collar, and said collar having blades therein effective to direct a blast of air against the released thread end and forwardly of said bobbin.

4. In a bobbin winding machine supplied with a thread to be wound and with a fresh and empty bobbin to receive said thread, in combination, a device to clamp a portion of said thread against the butt of said empty bobbin, means to sever the thread between said bobbin butt and the last previously-wound and previously-ejected bobbin, means to rotate the empty bobbin and to thereby start the winding of said thread thereon, means to withdraw the clamping devicemomentarily from the butt of the fresh bobbin to release and free the thread end as soon as an initial winding has been placed on the bobbin and with said thread end remaining connected to the thread being wound on the bobbin, and means to introduce a blast of air adjacent the butt of the bobbin and directed substantially axially of said bobbin arid toward the tip thereof, whereby said released and, free thread end is disposed alongside said bobbin and is covered by the thread as it is'thereafter wound on said bobbin.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,588,822 Swarm June 15 1926 2,361,813 Beckman O'ctl3l, 1944 2,449,328 Schweiter Sept. 14, 1948 2,676,763 ONeill Apr. 27. 1954 

